In Destiny: Rise of Iron, Bungie is bringing back Thorn, the Year One exotic hand cannon with a long history that drew the ire of many fans for its dominance in the Crucible.
When Destiny: Rise of Iron was revealed for the first time to fans, developer Bungie announced that the fan-favorite exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn would be returning with the expansion. But it has just been revealed that Destiny’s fall expansion will also bring back another infamous exotic weapon, the hand cannon Thorn.
The reveal came via news about new artifacts being added to the game that offer Guardians new abilities. One in particular called the Memory of Silmar will dramatically reduce the damage from ‘Damage over Time/ effects. Game Informer, who revealed the information, noted that the artifact would be particularly useful because Thorn will be returning in Rise of Iron.
Just as Gjallarhorn brings back memories for long time fans, so too does Thorn. The exotic hand cannon started out as one of the weakest and unused exotics in the game, but through a series of buffs, it became arguably the most powerful Primary weapon in the Crucible. With incredible range, a devastating initial damage, plus a poison effect that caused damage over time, it was possible to kill an opposing Guardian in just two headshots.
Similar to how Gjallarhorn became the best and only choice while playing PvE, Thorn reigned supreme in PvP, especially Trials of Osiris. And when it came time for The Taken King to come out in September 2015, Bungie decided to leave Thorn behind. Thorn received a nerf with Update 2.0 that paved the way for The Taken King, as well as not being allowed the reach the new Light level introduced in that expansion.
In addition to Thorn, Rise of Iron will also reintroduce another Year One weapon in the form of a new exotic variant. Keen-eyed fans have been pointing out a gun in Rise of Iron’s trailers that looks an awful lot like the first gun Guardians pick up in the game, the Khovostov auto rifle. The Khovostov will indeed return as an exotic weapon, and Bungie says it is the most customizable exotic in the game. Players will be able to select whether they want the auto rifle to fire in full auto, burst, or semi-auto modes. And even the weapon’s rate of fire will be adjustable.
Bungie will show much more over the summer before the launch of Rise of Iron. Today the developer also revealed the new Light level cap for Rise of Iron as well as the return of Festival of the Lost and the Sparrow Racing League.
[Source: GR]
